Tēnā koutou.
The 2022 Buller Gorge Marathon event was to be our 40th anniversary commemorating the very first run through the gorge way back in 1983. Due to cancellation of the 2022 event, we will now celebrate this on February 11th, 2023. On behalf of all our current and former organising committee members, we want to extend our thanks for the huge support our participants have shown us over the last 39 successful events. We are also humbled by the ongoing involvement that our community and local businesses continue to provide which makes our event possible.
To celebrate we are theming the 2023 event firmly in the eighties retro style. As well as our usual Thermatech active wear, we will have some new 40th Anniversary dress T shirts and lots of other commemorative merchandise available. We hope that you will join us in the celebration by dressing up in eighties style both during the event and at our prizegiving. In return, we will be issuing extra cool prizes for best-dressed individuals, teams, marshals and helpers and much, much more!
We are so fortunate to be in the position to reach our 40th anniversary in this rapidly changing world and we really look forward to making it the most memorable one of all.
Mā te whā
Buller Gorge Marathon Organising Committee”

Every year we provide up to 12,000 water and Rline bottles for hydration from the drink stations at our event. We totally get that our racegoers love the small bottles as they are easy to handle and can be carried between the drink stations.

However, we are more than uncomfortable with the large amount of plastic that we are adding to the waste stream particularly alongside the country’s second largest flowing river. So, we have spent some time trying to find an alternative that will meet the expectations of racegoers as well as helping to reduce our ecological footprint.

We are stoked to announce that in 2021 we will partner with Kiwi innovators: “Innocent Packaging” to provide 280ml compostable cups with secure lids to replace the old plastic bottles. These cups have been thoroughly tested by our crew in a running environment and they work flawlessly just as their plastic counterparts did. No leaks or spills, easy to hold and drink from and they can still be tipped easily over a runner’s head or body to refresh.

Best of all, the cups and lids will be collected by our volunteers and then sent to Nelsons Commercial Composting operation “Greenwaste to Zero” where they will be processed, mixed with green waste, compost windrowed and then eventually introduced back into the environment as an organic compost.

To make all of this really count, we will also donate $1000 every year to local volunteer-based planting projects to help improve the quality of our district and our ecosystem. Thank you for your support towards a greener future.